Title: THE MISSING
Author: JANE CASEY
ISBN: 97800091935993
Publisher: Ebury Press
Pages: 477
Source: Private Copy
Jenny Shepherd is twelve years old and missing…Her teacher, Sarah Finch, knows better than most that the chances of finding her alive are diminishing with every day she is gone. As a little girl her older brother had gone out to play one day and never returned. The strain of never knowing what has happened to Charlie had ripped Sarah’s family apart. Now in her early twenties, she is back living at home, trapped with a mother who drinks too much and keeps her brother’s bedroom as a shrine to his memory. Then, horrifically, it is Sarah who finds Jenny’s body, beaten and abandoned in the woods near her home. As she’s drawn into the police investigation and the heart of a media storm, Sarah’s presence arouses suspicion too. But it not just the police who are watching her…
Official Summary
23 July 2026
This book was a surprise find at a second-hand bookshop. First published in 2010, it is an outstanding debut novel. I read one of her books in 2023 for a blog tour so I was excited to find this one.
The story centres on two missing children, sixteen years apart, connected by one central character. It follows a family torn apart after a twelve-year-old boy disappears without a trace.
Sarah was the last person to see her brother before he vanished, and her mother becomes convinced that Sarah is hiding something. As a result, she treats her daughter terribly, almost blaming her for her brother’s disappearance.
Sixteen years later, Sarah has returned home to care for her alcoholic mother while teaching at a local all-girls’ school. When one of her students goes missing, Sarah is devastated. After discovering the girl’s body, she is determined to help the police uncover the truth. However, suspicion soon begins to fall on Sarah herself, and she finds herself drawn into the investigation as a potential suspect.
As the story unfolds, the reader is introduced to a man obsessed with Sarah, a child exploitation ring, and the lingering mystery surrounding the missing twelve-year-old boy that has haunted the neighbourhood for years. As Sarah pieces together the truth, she finally uncovers what happened to her brother all those years ago while also discovering the fate of her missing student.
There is an overwhelming sense of pain, grief, and loss woven throughout this mystery, making it an emotional read at times. The conclusion is both satisfying and heartbreaking, delivering a realistic portrayal of someone who has spent a lifetime searching for answers and finally reaching their breaking point when the truth is revealed.
This was a brilliantly moving and compelling debut novel, and I will definitely be picking up more of Jane Casey’s books.
Also By Jane Casey
THE CLOSE
At first glance, Jellicoe Close seems to be a perfect suburban street – well-kept houses with pristine lawns, neighbours chatting over garden fences, children playing together.
But there are dark secrets behind the neat front doors, hidden dangers that include a ruthless criminal who will stop at nothing.
It’s up to DS Maeve Kerrigan and DI Josh Derwent to uncover the truth. Posing as a couple, they move into the Close, blurring the lines between professional and personal as never before.
And while Maeve and Josh try to gather the evidence they need, they have no idea of the danger they face – because someone in Jellicoe Close has murder on their mind.
About the Author
Author bio from the author’s site
Jane Casey is no stranger to the crime world. Married to a criminal barrister, she’s got the inside track on some of the country’s most dangerous offenders, giving her writing an unsettlingly realistic feel.
This authenticity has made her novels international bestsellers and critical successes. They have been nominated for several awards and in 2015 Jane won both the Mary Higgins Clark Award and Irish Crime Novel of the Year for The Stranger You Know and After the Fire, respectively. In 2019, Cruel Acts was chosen as Irish Crime Novel of the Year at the Irish Book Awards. It was a Sunday Times bestseller. Born in Dublin, Jane now lives in southwest London with her family.
This is an old book – published in 2010 – but it kept me glued to the pages. Have you read this one? If you haven’t, I recommend adding it to your TBR. You won’t be disappointed. Until next time… Happy Reading!
